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Back in a Small Airplane

Other than two rather meaningless flights a little over a year and a half ago, I took my first flight in a small plane in about four years last night.  This was the first flight in my journey to become a CFI, and it went quite well.

I actually felt much more comfortable than I expected to based on how those other two flights went.  As I think about it, there were a number of factors that made that so.

The first thing I really appreciated was an excellent instructor.  He is a very experienced instructor that has a presence that I really appreciated as well as a simple way of explaining things.  I also really liked how he gave me very precise parameters to hit, which always makes the maneuvers so much easier to execute.

Another factor was flying in an area I am much more familiar with.  Having done my private pilot certificate in this area, I was used to being in a small plane here.  I have also flown extensively for work in the area, along with flying directly over my house which just adds to the comfort level.  There is just something about flying where you feel at home that makes it all feel better.

It also was simply stunning weather.  Spring evenings in the high desert can be so beautiful.  It has been really windy here recently, but gratefully it calmed down and it was a smooth and beautiful evening.  Sunsets are always more beautiful from the air.

When I was first talking to my CFI about working on my rating I told him I would rather do the loops and split-s that we did at pilot training than basic maneuvers because that is what I had done more recently.  I was pleasantly surprised with how easily I got back into the private pilot maneuvers.  It’s amazing how quickly things like that came back, even after a few years.

The one area that is going to take some more work is getting back to landing a small plane.  The sight picture is pretty different from a C-130, and the feedback of the controls is a little different as well.  It will come with time though.

For the next flight, we will be going through the commercial maneuvers, which will be a little different for me.  As part of military training, we don’t do chandelles or eights on pylons, and lazy eights are a little different in a T-6.  I am excited to do some new stuff, and make sure I am actually ready to go and teach these maneuvers as well.

I am so glad I finally got this next step done in the process of becoming a CFI, and with how comfortable I actually felt.  It will be a couple of days before we get to fly again, and I am anxiously waiting to keep going.

May 5, 2022 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Patience is an Important Part of Being a Pilot

Sometimes I forget how much patience is required when being a pilot.

Like so many others, I went out a few weeks ago full of excitement and ready to attack my CFI.  Then the weather decided otherwise.  All it took was some pretty good wind, and I was grounded.  Wind gusts in the 30s are manageable in a C-130, though not always fun, but in a 172 in the mountains, that is not only not fun, it is generally unsafe.

This was reinforced the day after my cancelled 172 flight when I was flying for work in the C-130.  We heard a guy on the radio talking about encountering mountain wave turbulence and being unable to maintain altitude.  Apparently he got through it and reached his destination, but that is the type of scenario that no pilot wants to encounter.

The Sierra Nevada Mountains around Lake Tahoe are stunning with their views, especially this time of year with the snow caps and everything turning green.  But, they are unforgiving when it gets windy.  The very first time I ever flew in the area in a C-130 I experienced an instantaneous drop of 300 feet.  Having only really flown in low terrain in the Central USA it was not something I was familiar with.  It can be easy to underestimate mother nature, but she doesn’t care what you are doing, she is going to do her thing.

I am scheduled to fly again tomorrow morning, and it is forecasted to be windy by the afternoon.  Here’s hoping I am able to beat the wind and get a flight under my belt.  I am super excited to be getting back in a small plane and moving one step closer to my CFI and starting my flight school.

May 1, 2022 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Becoming a CFI

Patience is not always something that I am very good with, but I have had to practice a lot of it these last few months while I wait to have the time to finish my CFI.  Unfortunately, I still have to wait a few more weeks, but at least I have a few things to keep myself busy.

I completed the written tests a year and a half ago but was simply too busy to get the flying in and prep for the checkride.  Over the next three weeks I get to go to some interesting Air Force Safety training, but that also means that I have nights free to buckle down and do the ground prep so that I will be ready to fly when I get back.

I have already read through most of the things I could find suggested online, so now I will be prepping my lesson plans and building my CFI binder.  I plan to build it in a digital format that will make it easy for me to update as well as transfer them to students.  I also think it will be a valuable way for me to refresh myself on the things that could come up on the checkride.

I do have a few things that I am worried about on the checkride.  The ground eval is always a stress for me on any checkride.  There is simply so much information that could be covered.  You can know 90% of the information, but if they ask you about the 10% you don’t know, then you look stupid.  On the flip side, you can know 10% of the information and if that is what they ask, you look like a genius.  All I can do is study and prepare with confidence that I will study the right stuff.  I also think my previous experience instructing will make a big difference.

However, I also know it will be different instructing at the controls as opposed to standing behind the pilots like I did on the C-130.  I still feel pretty confident that I will do alright as I actually had a tendency in pilot training, including my private certification, to talk my way through the maneuvers I was doing.  I was told to never do that on a checkride, but I prefer to demonstrate what is going through my mind as I fly.  I think this is actually going to help on this checkride.

I do have a couple of concerns when it comes to the flying.  The first one will be remedied with time.  I only have two hours in a small plane in the last four years since I finished my private, and as you would expect, it is a little different than the T-6, T-1, or C-130.  Putting in some hours in a small plane will get me back to being comfortable again.

The other concern of mine is performing commercial maneuvers that I either haven’t done at all, or that I haven’t done in a small plane.  A lazy eight in a T-6 is a little different than a lazy eight in a 172.  The thing that makes me the most uncomfortable is the lack of a buffer in performance, but I am probably just psyching myself out.  Everything that I did in the T-6 I could get out of by putting in the power and climbing away, but mentally it isn’t the same in a smaller plane.  We also didn’t do stuff like eights on pylons or chandelles.  I would honestly feel more comfortable doing loops and a split-s, which makes me laugh as I think about it.

Finishing my CFI is kind of an important part of starting a flight school, and one that I am increasingly excited to finish.  It has been three and a half years since I left to start pilot training and one of the things I have missed the most about being a navigator is the chance to instruct.  Having the opportunity to teach somebody something you love is so incredibly fulfilling, and something that I miss terribly.

If I am being totally honest, a side motivation is to build hours to be eligible for the airlines, but I am also not sure if that is the path I want to take.  I will have my C-130 flying to get my low-level/airdrop fix, just not nearly the number of hours I would like.  That is one of the awesome things about aviation.  There are so many different paths you can take that will get you where you want to go.  You don’t ever have to settle on just one, you can keep trying new things, keep getting new ratings, and always work on being a better aviator.

I am super excited to have the opportunity to help people who are just starting on this incredible journey.

March 24, 2022 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Starting a Flight School

So, yeah, I’m going to start a flight school.

I realize that is kind of a cavalier way of putting it, and I don’t want anyone to think I am not taking it seriously, but it just seems like the right thing to do at the moment.  I am super excited to be going after this, and at the same time completely mortified about all of the things that I could potentially miss and completely screw myself.  Not to mention the things that I could do completely right, but then have uncontrollable things like weather really make it challenging.

At the same time, I think the challenge of it all is part of the excitement for me.  I don’t feel like I have challenged myself enough for quite awhile and I need new things to get excited about.

The other thing I am really excited about, is being able to teach, instruct, and mentor.  This last fall I had the opportunity to help coach my son’s little league football team and it was so much fun watching those boys learn and grow and develop new skills.  It had been something like 15 years since I last coached, and it helped me to remember how much I missed it.  There is just something incredibly fulfilling about watching someone start from essentially zero and a few months later have improved so much.

As an instructor in the Air Force it was equally fulfilling to watch new navs come in with little experience, and watch them grow into proficient aviators.  Coming back from pilot training I was able to see one in particular who is now an instructor herself and has become a bit of a go to for many of our navs.  I am so proud of her and can’t wait to have similar experiences as a CFI.

Part of the reason I am putting this on here is to log my journey, but I am also hoping that people much smarter than me will help me see the holes in my plans, and help prevent me from missing anything, but in particular the small things I don’t even realize I am missing, but that will kill the whole thing before I start.  Please also feel free to tell me I am insane with any part of this.  I would rather have someone point out my follies now than after I drop thousands of dollars into the whole thing.

In no particular order these are the things I have been working on.

The first big one is finishing my CFI.  I have completed all of the written tests, but simply ran out of time with moving and deploying so this will be completed in the Spring at some point.  I’ve been reading through all of the different pubs and regs that I could find recommended by others, but would gladly accept any guidance on what other areas I should focus on to prepare for the checkride.

I am a little concerned about learning some of the commercial maneuvers since we either didn’t do them in the Air Force, or they were done in high performance turbine powered aircraft, which are a little different than a single engine piston.  That being said, I am sure it is like most things and I just need to get back in the small plane and practice and it will work itself out.

Just to be clear, I realize the CFI is not a gimme, and that I have a lot of work to do, but I also realize there are other things I can work on while I finish that up so I am ready to go once it is complete.

Which brings me to the next big hurdle.  The airplane.

I have considered buying one to complete my training in as I feel it would be great to start to get comfortable with it for the checkride itself, but I am also not sure that I want to start worrying about the financial side of ownership until I am closer to being able to receive income from it.  Though I guess as a commercial pilot I could start offering some other services while I finish to help with the payments.  Sorry, just thinking out loud here.

In terms of which airplane to buy I am leaning towards a Cherokee, and probably a 160.  A 180 or 235 would be even better at my altitude, but I just don’t think I will be able to find one at a price that will suit my needs.  Even a lot of the 160s I have seen are outside my range, but I have seen a few that I think would work.

I am thinking the Cherokee because that is what I did most of my training in, and I feel the most comfortable in it.  I took a couple of flights in a 172 last spring and I just felt completely out of place.  I realize I would get more comfortable with time, but I also have come to like the low-wings better.  Not to mention I have had an even harder time trying to find a 172 at a reasonable price.

My goal is to find something between $30-40k which I realize is not going to be an incredibly easy task.  But based on my searching, they do pop up on occasion.  From what I can tell I think I am looking at getting one that probably has about 1000 hours since it’s last engine overhaul which would give me some time before I would need to overhaul it again.  In running my numbers I have decided I need to fly it about 300 hours a year to be able to rent it out at a somewhat reasonable price.  Not that any rentals are reasonable anymore.  So that would give me about three years before I would have to undertake that major expense.  I would obviously much rather find something even lower than 1000 hours, but don’t think that is very likely at the prices I am considering.

I am curious to hear if people think there are better options of aircraft, or if I am out of my mind with what I think I can get.  The biggest limiting factor for me is that I live at 4,000+ feet so I need something that has at least a little more oomph.  I would love to get something with a lot more oomph, but that just isn’t in the cards right now.

My plan is to base my school out of Reno-Stead Airport, KRTS, also the home of the Reno Air Races.  I have made a couple of contacts up there and intend to pursue them more thoroughly when I get home from my deployment.  I really feel like the people there are going to be my key to being successful, especially at the beginning.

The two biggest things I see as challenges at the airport are securing a hangar and finding a good, reliable mechanic.  I realize a hangar is not necessarily an absolute must, but with the winter weather, wind, and heat we have in Reno I feel like I will reap the benefits of keeping my investment well protected.

Having a reliable mechanic also seems critical.  Obviously to ensure that my airplane is safe, but also so that when something does break, which will inevitably happen, the plane is not down for months waiting, because that is time that I will not be making money.  I have read it is a good idea to have a back up plane just in case, so that is something I plan to keep an ear open for, but am not going to wait on to get started.

I am aware of the additional inspections required with using the plane as a trainer such as the 100 hour inspection.  Another reason I am leaning towards the Cherokee is that my instructor said his 100 hours were essentially the same cost as an Annual so he got a fresh Annual every 100 hours.  It seems like a good way to ensure a little more safety and reliability.  I also intend to do my own oil changes, and as much owner maintenance as possible.  There will be a little learning to do there, but I know it is well within my realm of learning from what I can understand.

Insurance is one area I feel like I am a little more in the dark.  I haven’t reached out to any companies yet since I felt I was a little far out from executing, but will do so upon my return.  I hesitate to even guess what it will cost and I realize there are a ton of different variables.  I put $3,000 a year when I was estimating costs, but I also know insurance has been going up significantly recently.  I would love to hear who you go with, or places I should start my search.

From the business side itself, I feel like it should be relatively straightforward.  I intend to create an LLC to hold everything in and protect my personal assets.  I also know I will need to get a business license and a tax number and all of that fun stuff.  I’m sure every state has its unique quirks and Nevada is no different.

As for how to attract students, I have a few already that I have talked to that are interested in learning that I work with in the Guard.  I feel like there will always be a relatively steady flow of students there, but I also think I will need more than just that to sustain the operation.  One of the other football coaches expressed some interest so I may have another opening there.  I also intend to increase my social media presence, and maybe even take out a few targeted ads there to create some buzz.  Word of mouth seems like my best friend, though I know I can’t always count on it.  That is why it is incredibly important to put out a solid product and provide the type of training environment that people want to come to.  There are surprisingly not very many flight schools in the Reno area.

From a cost perspective I am planning to charge slightly less than the one major flight school that is at the international airport, about 20 minutes away.  This is not to undercut them, but I am aware their planes are newer and have more bells and whistles.  Things that I would love to have someday, but are also not necessary, especially with my focus being on new pilots.  I also will charge slightly less for my instructor time.  Again, not to undercut them, but because I don’t have as much experience.  I also don’t have a lot of the same overhead costs as them so I can afford to be a little more generous in my pricing.

Now you may be asking why I don’t just go work for that flight school and eliminate a lot of the hassle, and that may still be an option as I continue to research and determine what this is actually going to take.  Probably the biggest reason is that I want the flexibility to do this on my time.  This will not be my full-time job for the time being, and I need to be able to work around my work schedule, and not have to also work around the schedule of the flight school.  Not working for them also gives me the opportunity to save the people I work with some money on their flight training.  It will not be $100 cheaper per hour or anything crazy, but if I can save them a few hundred, or maybe even $1000 over the course of their training that seems like a good thing to do.

I also really want to own my own airplane.  I want to have the freedom it provides, and weirdly enough I want to have to learn the more frustrating sides of aircraft ownership.  I see it as an opportunity to further my understanding of one more facet of the industry.  I would love for this to be a part of my life for as long as I can still fly, but also realize I don’t know what my future holds.  This just seems like the right time, and a great opportunity to chase one more dream, and help other people in chasing theirs.

So, what am I forgetting?  Where am I being delusional?  What pitfalls should I look out for?

If there is one thing I know about the aviation community it is that we are not afraid to share our opinions, and I welcome your thoughts on anything I talked about, and more importantly, the things I am missing.  I look forward to hearing what you all have to say.

December 18, 2021 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Night Flying Tips From a Military Pilot

I gotta say, it still feels weird saying I am a military pilot, but I guess I need to better embrace what I am in a lot of aspects of life.

Anyways, after flying a couple of nights ago I thought it might be useful to mention some of the things I have learned about flying at night that may be useful to others who don’t do as much night flying.

One obvious difference between what we do in the Air Force and most, if not all, civilian flyers is that we use NVGs when we fly at night.  We do still practice approaches and landings at night without them, but if we are doing low levels or airdrops at night, we always wear them.

If you ever get the opportunity to try some NVGs I would recommend trying them out on the ground because it is cool, but DO NOT try to fly with them unless you have been properly trained.  There may be this idea that they make it almost like daytime, but that is not the case.  They do dramatically improve your ability to see at night, but they also completely change your depth perception and how your straight ahead vision interacts with your peripheral vision since one is using NVGs and the other is not.  Again, do not try and do anything with NVGs unless you have been trained.

So what are some things you can do to make flying at night more safe?

Physiologically, make sure you are well rested when flying at night.  It can be easy to have a normal day and then head out to the airport to get some night flying done, but be very cognizant of how you feel physically.  During the summer you may try to fly more in the evenings when it starts to cool down so you need to be honest with yourself about how tired you are.  Especially if you are going out after the sun has set because it sets so much later in the summer.

Here in Arkansas right now it doesn’t really get dark until after nine o’clock so to get some night time in you have to stay up much later than in the winter when the sun sets around 5-6.  If you typically stay up until midnight or later this may not be a big deal, but if you are an early to bed kind of person you need to be honest with yourself about how tired you are, and may want to consider an afternoon nap to give yourself a little more pep when the sun goes down.

It is also common to use some sort of stimulant like coffee or energy drinks to give you a little boost at night, but be careful with how much of that stuff you use.  Too much can make you jittery and effect your night vision, which is obviously pretty important.  There is also a chance of having that big drop off when the effects wear off, and you don’t need that late at night.

Next, it is really important to get to know the airport and area you will be flying in.  Even if it is an airport you use regularly, it will look different at night than it does during the day.  Having a clear picture in your mind of where you will be on the ground and what to look for in the air will help to alleviate some of the confusion that is inherent with flying at night.  This is especially true when you are flying as the sun is setting because you will start to get strange shadows that can mess with your head in terms of depth perception and things looking unfamiliar.

For that reason I recommend getting night practice on a regular basis so that you add to your mental picture of how things look in all different light conditions.  Three landings every 90 days is not enough to be safe flying at night.  Now if you just choose not to fly at night at all, that is your decision, but you do miss out on some amazing sights and peace that can only be experienced at night.  You also never know when you may need to fly at night and you don’t want to find yourself unprepared, and in turn, unsafe.

Part of getting to know your airport is learning the important altitudes around it.  Outside of pattern altitudes, a lot of other altitudes seem to be more related to instrument flying, but as you will learn, there is a lot of crossover from night flying and instrument flying that will keep you safe.

Understanding what the highest obstruction to flight around your airport is can be vital information.  There is so much peace of mind when you have an emergency of some sort in knowing that if you climb to a certain altitude you are safe from hitting anything while you diagnose the problem.  There could be buildings or towers or even a mountain near your airport that you don’t want to be worrying about while you are troubleshooting.

This also applies when flying at night away from your airport.  I recommend you stay as high as you feel safe at night, within reason, because it eliminates many of the risks of terrain and towers that can be lower.  Your depth perception at night is also not the same as during the day, so having that extra buffer is a huge blessing.  Looking at your route of flight on at least a sectional before you fly will help you to know what a safe altitude is.

This may seem like it is more important in mountainous areas where there are more obstructions, and that is a valid point, but I have seen 1000’+ towers in relatively flat terrain that will ruin your day just as fast as a mountain if you aren’t aware that they are there.  We always try to see and avoid whether day or night, but it is more challenging to do so at night, so understanding the hazards along your route will always keep you safer.

Even though we fly on NVGs in the military, we still prepare all of our charts with safe altitudes, factor obstacles that may still be dangerous if we are low to the ground, and study them as a crew to make sure we are safe.  If we have any kind of an emergency, or even just an unexpected situation that requires extra attention, we always climb to those safe altitudes so we can safely divert a little attention to whatever the problem may be.

In a similar vein it is also important to check the NOTAMs for your route of flight.  These can help you identify significant towers, and maybe more importantly towers that may be unlit.  These are not extremely common, but not being able to see a tower that you will be flying towards is incredibly unsafe.  They could go out for any number of reasons, and you want to know that before you go.  Also bear in mind with towers that they may have wires sticking out from the sides for support that you will never see at night, so just stay far away from them.

Tools like ForeFlight can also be invaluable at night, but do not just use them as a crutch.  Learn the proper skills and do the proper preparation which will allow you to operate safely. Those tools can be used on the ground for all of the things I mentioned.  Then you can have all of that information in one place and they will be the asset they can be instead of just a crutch or distraction.

Outside of all of the preparation I have mentioned, you need to fly at night regularly to stay proficient.  It’s not enough to go knock out your three takeoffs and landings and then have your friends jump in to go for a flight the same day.  You may technically be legal, but you are not proficient.  The only way to get good at night landings is to practice them regularly, just like landings during the day.

The sight picture is so much different, that only experience can really prepare you.  Your depth perception and peripheral vision are such important parts of flying, and they are dramatically affected by operating at night.  It’s also important to go to different airports if you have the option.  They all have unique lighting on the runways and surrounding areas that allow you to learn even more and expand that tool bag of knowledge that you build with each flight.

It may also be worth mentioning that one of the most common misconceptions about flying at night is that airports are really bright places, when in actuality they are generally the darkest patch of ground in an area because runway and taxiway lights are not very bright, and they don’t need to be.  So if you are having trouble finding an airport at night, look for the dark areas with straight lines of lights running through them.  If it is a smaller airport, pilot controlled lighting can also be a game changer with finding the airport.  That many lights turning on at the same time is pretty hard to miss.

Flying at night is such a fun and unique experience.  During the summer it is great because it is cooler and the air is generally a little smoother.  It gives you a unique view of the places that you see regularly, because everything looks different at night.  I find it to be more peaceful because not as many people fly at night.  I also really enjoy being at the airport late at night because they are unusually quiet.  There is something really calming about sitting in the darkness of an airport with only the runway and taxiway lights on.  It’s probably because there is often so much noise around an airport, but at night it is just peaceful when not many planes are around.

So get out there and fly at night.  Experience something different for a change.  If you aren’t proficient then take another pilot with you who may be more proficient, because flying with friends is almost always better anyway.  It really can be an underappreciated part of flying, but one that requires extra vigilance on your part to be able to enjoy it safely.

June 24, 2021 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

My First Flight as a Pilot in the C-130

Aviation is a really funny industry.

For so much of my life so many aspects of the industry have felt completely out of reach.  Even after all of the experiences I have had and people I have met, I still feel like there are so many things I will never get to see or experience.  The reality is that there are so many experiences I would like to have that there is no way it would be possible for me to experience them all.  I have made the mistake of ignoring the cool things I have done because I spend so much time looking ahead to the things I would really like to see and do.

In some ways that is what I did a few weeks ago when I didn’t take the time I should have to enjoy a moment that I waited almost a decade for, and which less than two years ago I would have told you would never happen.  Despite my delay I would like to share just how special an experience it was for me.

I have about 1600 hours as a navigator on the C-130H, and I enjoyed every single one of them.  To stand on that flight deck in countries all over the world, to airdrop supplies to people who needed them on the ground in Afghanistan, to deliver patients to hospitals where they could get the care they needed, or even to return them home, to dangle my feet off the ramp flying low over the islands of the Pacific and see what has to be the bluest water on earth.  All of these experiences were life changing in their own way, and I fully anticipated making more of the same memories over however many years I remained in the Nevada Air National Guard as a navigator.

But then the opportunity arose to attend pilot training and ultimately take the controls of the C-130.  As I look back on what it took to even be given that opportunity I am overcome with gratitude for the willingness of leaders to support me, and others, in that pursuit.  I am forever indebted to a family that continues to sacrifice every day so that I can chase my dreams.  None of it would be possible, nor would it be worth it, if I didn’t have their love and support.

This is the first C-130 that I ever got to fly as a pilot and it was life changing.

After about 21 months of training, I finally got to sit in the pilot’s seat for a flight on the C-130.  The first time I got that chance was honestly less than exciting.  For various scheduling and training reasons, I only got in the seat for the second half of the flight, and I didn’t actually get to manipulate the controls once.  That being said, it was still incredibly memorable for me, and in some ways is still a little surreal that it actually happened.

A few days later I was able to get in the seat for the entire flight that was actually based around pattern work so I got a ton of takeoffs and landings.  Some people may be surprised to learn just how much time Air Force pilots spend working in the pattern and doing takeoffs, approaches, and landings.  Those are skills that remain important no matter what level of flying you get to.

As I took the runway for that first takeoff at the controls I felt like my whole body was smiling.  In a less professional environment I may have squealed like a child with excitement, but I kept all of that inside.  Logically, the sights and sounds of that takeoff were not significantly different from any of the thousands of others I had experienced from six feet further back in the plane, but I will tell you that it felt like the first time I had ever experienced it.  It is amazing to me just how different it feels in that seat compared to the one I used as a nav.

The rest of the flight was spent working on landings, and the weather was certainly giving me a hearty welcome with a significant crosswind the entire time.  (It made future flights seem much easier when the winds were significantly less challenging.)  As the flight progressed it was exciting to watch myself get better with each landing.  Slowly putting the pieces together of how to apply rudder, aileron, elevator, power, trim, etc. to set that plane down where it was supposed to be.  I still have tons to learn, but even in those couple of hours it was exhilarating to see my improvement.

Sunsets from the air are just so much more beautiful for some reason.

I have since had a handful of flights spent mostly on tactical flying, and they have been a lot of fun, but nothing really compares to that first time you take the controls.  As I finish up my training here in Little Rock I have so much to be grateful for.

I don’t think I am alone in sometimes feeling that as I approach 40 it is easy to forget about my dreams and feel like the time has passed to chase them.  You tend to resign yourself to the life that you have.  Don’t get me wrong, I have been really happy with my life.  I have a job I love, with an amazing wife and stellar kids.  I have had incredible experiences with my work, and my family, and I know that those will continue, but I still have moments where I feel like there are so many things I want to do that I never will.

At times like those I have to remind myself how many dreams I have already successfully achieved, and that if I stop chasing new ones I have only myself to blame.  Being realistic, my dream of playing professional baseball has sailed, and that’s okay.  I still love the game, but it was probably never realistic anyways.  However, other dreams, like getting my tailwheel endorsement, teaching my kids (and maybe wife) to fly, and backcountry flying, are all still very much attainable.  They aren’t even that far from my reach if I just make them a priority.

Like so many other dreams, they are not just going to fall into my lap without effort.  I will likely have to make sacrifices and not pursue things I would like to do if I am to accomplish the things I really want to do.

When I was a kid living under the approach/departure path to DFW I vividly remember having the dream of becoming a pilot, but I never thought it was a realistic possibility.  I had no idea what the path was to get there.  When I enlisted in the Marine Corps I thought I had started on that path and would reach my goal in just a few short years.  Turns out it was more like 18 years, but dang it, I got there.

I think I have confused my own impatience with something being impossible.  It is easy to compare yourself with others and say they just got lucky or they have the right rich parents, and some of that is true, but who cares what someone else’s path was?  If you really want something bad enough and continue to focus on it, you can get there, and make it a reality.

It is really fun to be able to say now that I am a C-130 pilot, especially because I never thought it would happen.

June 21, 2021 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

C-130H Training as a Pilot: Academics and Sims

If you know anything about me you know that I am a little obsessed with the C-130H.  This is somewhat ironic when you consider that at the beginning of nav school I had said that I would be happy with any plane, as long as it wasn’t a C-130.  For the life of me I can’t remember why I had such a negative perception of the plane I now love, and the only answer I can come up with is that I was just uneducated.  When I did drop a C-130H at the end of nav school I was incredibly disappointed, as I had really wanted the B-1, but it was my second choice so I got over it relatively quickly.

During the time that I was a nav on the C-130 I had the opportunity to fly it a couple of times in the sim, but it was always just a landing or two.  It was fun, but nothing super memorable.  Going through pilot training, and knowing I would be going back to my beloved C-130 gave me a lot of motivation to do it right as well as something to really look forward to.

We learn some basic procedures on stuff like this that is worse than the flight sims many people have at home. lol

I started my training on the C-130H last November which followed the same pattern as all flying training in the Air Force.  There was a lot of academics, executed either through CBTs or classroom training from an instructor.  After the initial academics they start to mix in some procedural trainers where you learn checklists and some of the basic procedures like starting the engines.  Then you get in the full motion sims, which are always fun, and relatively realistic, definitely better than the stationary stuff at pilot training.

The first checkride actually takes place in the simulator.  Your instrument/qualification checkride is a handful of approaches, circling, holding, a few landings, and three-engine work.  It was not overly stressful as they prepare you very well with more practice sims than may be really necessary.  It was pretty awesome to have that first checkride done and be qualified to fly the plane I love so much.  It is a little weird to be qualified to fly a plane you have never actually flown, but I guess it is no different than airline pilots who get their first flights with passengers on board.

This is one of the full motion simulators that we use for most of our initial training. We do 36 sims in these to make sure we are ready before we go to the flightline.

After that checkride you move on to more sims that are focused on the tactical side of flying that we do, which is the more fun stuff.  This involves flying low levels, formation, and airdrops.  There wasn’t as much for me to learn in this phase since the job of the nav is actually much more in depth than the copilot.  The copilot is more of a backup for the nav and pilot when we fly tac, but it was still fun to get back into the more enjoyable part of our flying.

It has been really interesting going through this training from a different crew position.  You wouldn’t think it would change that much from standing behind the co-pilot’s seat, to sitting in the co-pilot’s seat, but it really is a significantly different perspective.  You don’t see as much of what is going on outside because of where you are sitting, and the fact that you are stuck in one place.  As a nav I walked back and forth between both sides of the flight deck on a regular basis to get a better view of whatever I may have been looking for, but now I am left craning my neck and body to try and see things.

My crosscheck of scanning instruments and outside is also much different because as a nav I would often look at certain data on the pilot’s side versus the copilot’s side just because it was more easily seen based on the yoke or where they were sitting, or just because of where I was looking at any given time.  Now the only reason I even look at the pilot’s side is because on the H2 only the pilot has a radar altimeter.  It will be nice having that on my side as well when I get back to our H3s in Reno.

Ultimately, all of the training made me even more anxious to get back on the plane I hadn’t been on in almost two years.  My last flight before leaving for pilot training had actually been giving a checkride, so I wasn’t even in the seat.  It is a little disappointing looking back, but the fact that my next flight would be in a pilot’s seat makes it a lot easier to tolerate.  After fives months of training I was super ready, and super pumped, to be getting back on the C-130H for a real flight.

June 12, 2021 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Some Thoughts on Aviation Safety

Recent events have led me to spend some time thinking about aviation safety and how lucky we are to live in such a safe time for flying.  Regardless of how some people want to sensationalize the events near Denver, it was not as big of a deal as some have made it out to be.

Don’t get me wrong, it was a significant event, and deserves adequate attention from the NTSB, FAA, United, Boeing, P&W, etc. but rather than creating fear, it should instill confidence in the aviation industry.  The fact that such a catastrophic failure of an engine led to nothing more than an emergency declaration and delaying the passengers’ arrival in Hawaii is a testament to all of the safety measures we take in this industry.

It was mostly a non-issue because of the ridiculous amount of training that crew has received in their careers.  I can’t speak to the specifics of the flight attendants training, though they play a vital role, so I will focus on the pilots.

In the course of their careers they have likely done hundreds of landings in the simulator with one engine out.  They have done them in good weather, in bad weather, right after takeoff, right before landing, and a hundred other different scenarios to make sure it would essentially be a non-issue should that day ever come.

In my own personal training in the C-130, which admittedly has been very short, I would venture to guess that I have done more landings with one engine out than I have with all of my engines operating.  That’s because we train for the unexpected and spend far less time in the simulator doing “normal” things.  Even prior to becoming a pilot I had been with pilots that practiced hundreds of landings in the plane with a simulated engine out.  It is part of every single one of their checkrides that they do about every 17 months.

Beyond that, I have been on the plane at least half a dozen times, and probably more, when we have actually shut an engine down in flight.  This isn’t as big of a deal when you have four engines as opposed to two, but in every single one of those instances, it was really not a big deal.  The crew worked together as a team, they assessed the situation, and we all landed safely.  Twice I had it happen over the ocean, and in both cases all it did was delay us to our destination by a couple of days.

I do not mean to undermine the fears of the passengers on that plane, or even those who were reading about it after the fact.  I would not expect them to feel the same way as me or anybody else who has thousands of hours in airplanes and has trained extensively for those situations.  Even those of us that are well trained have moments where our stomachs drop or even a little fear crosses our minds.  We are all humans after all.  I would hope though, that people will look at this as the endorsement of our safety culture that it is, rather than an indictment of it.

One last thing worth mentioning is how this incident will contribute to the continued safety of our industry.  Any time an event like this occurs an investigation will take place.  They will look at the plane and the engine and try to determine what the probable cause of the incident was.  They will talk to the crew and analyze their actions pointing out the good and the bad of how they handled the situation.  They will look at the air traffic controllers and see how well they handled their part.  Maintenance practices will be analyzed and critiqued.

All of this information will then be brought back to people all over the world who will receive training on what happened, what was done well, and how it can be improved upon.  Briefings like that can be incredibly humbling experiences where they were not as fortunate to have no casualties like they did here.  But they are a vital part of our industry and keeping us safe.  We often say the rules and regulations are written in blood because many of them came as a result of injury or loss of life.  In this case we were very fortunate that no injuries occurred, but we will still reap the benefits of lessons learned, and the industry as a whole will be safer for it.

If incidents like this make you scared to fly, the best way to get over that is to learn more about how it all works.  So if you have any questions about the process or how we have made aviation so safe please reach out.  Leave a question in the comments below, or send me a message and I will gladly discuss it with you.  There is no reason for someone to stay scared of something that is so ridiculously safe.

February 22, 2021 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Is Money Really the Reason People Don’t Learn to Fly?

Money was always the reason I said I didn’t learn to fly, and I know that is the reason most other people give. Some say time and that is a valid reason because it does take a significant time commitment to get your ratings.

The more I think about it, and the more I hear other people talk about it, money should never be the reason someone doesn’t learn to fly.  If someone says money is the reason they can’t learn to fly, I think the real reason is lack of education or understanding, which I think is the only real reason people don’t learn to fly.

That may seem abrupt or too short sighted, but at the heart of most reasons is a lack of understanding.  Let’s look at money first since that is the most common reason.

Money can certainly be a stumbling block, and make it take longer to earn a rating, but there is no reason it should stop anyone.  Most of us could find things to eliminate from our lives and save money.  We could not go to Starbucks as often, or not eat out everyday for lunch.  We could even sell our car and ride a bike where we needed to go or take the bus.  All of these things can be done if someone wants it bad enough, and if you don’t, that’s fine, it just means you would rather have your coffee than fly, as long as you understand it is a choice.

Beyond that there are a lot of different scholarships out there designed to help people get their ratings.  You may not get the first one you apply for, but if you keep trying then you will eventually find a way.  Like many things it is not just a matter of trying one time if you truly want it.  You have to keep trying and you WILL find a way.

While I don’t recommend it unless you intend to make flying a career, there are even loans you can take out if you decide that is right for you.  Take great caution though because you don’t want to end up with more debt than you can handle.  This was originally my plan, but after more than $3,000 I had only logged 7.5 hours and I knew that wasn’t sustainable.  So just make sure you are staying very aware of what you are spending and what you are actually getting if you decide to take out loans.

Now what about time?

I have very quickly learned that the older I get the less free time I have.  Between work and family I have to be much more selective of how I spend the other time I have.  But, when I am honest with myself, I waste a ridiculous amount of time watching TV and playing video games.  I enjoy doing those things, and have come to realize that it is a choice I am making, that I am trying to change within myself.

Not everyone wastes their time away on meaningless entertainment, and some people genuinely do not have any extra time to pursue a license.  The question there is if they could afford to work a little less and possibly live a less extravagant lifestyle?  Could they sacrifice a huge vacation and instead get their license?  This is not always the case as some people genuinely have to work that much just to survive.  But the vast majority of people could find something to sacrifice if they really wanted to fly.

I guess what I am getting at is that there are opportunities out there if only people knew what reality was.  Some people think that the military is the only way to become a pilot.  This may seem ridiculous for someone in the industry, but for someone who doesn’t actually know someone who is a pilot they may not realize the opportunities that exist. 

They may not realize that sometimes you can trade labor like plane washing for flight lessons.  There are also jobs to be had at the airport fueling planes and moving them around.  I for one thought there was some experience to be had to get a job like that.  Come to realize most of those people are in their late teens and early twenties with no experience whatsoever when they start.  It can be a great way to meet pilots and find opportunities to fly that you can only find through meeting people.  Not to mention making some money to spend on flying.

There are programs like EAA’s Young Eagle where you can get into a small plane for a flight to see what it’s like.  There is Civil Air Patrol if you want to learn more about aviation and maybe get some flying in as well.

Honestly, when you are young is the best time to learn to fly if you can be disciplined about it.  You don’t have a lot of bills to worry about other than maybe a cell phone and some sort of transportation.  You also don’t have a lot of other responsibilities to take up your time.  You just have to decide if being on five basketball teams is more important than learning to fly, and if it is for you then awesome!  Just don’t complain about not becoming a pilot.  You can make it happen if you choose to, but you have to be disciplined and really want it.  Otherwise, you may put off your dream for 20 years like I did. 

I know it’s a cliche phrase, but it really is true that “where there’s a will there’s a way”.  It likely will not come easy, and will take significant time and effort, but it can be done.  You can find a way if you have the guts to do it.  You will likely have to ask for help from others, but don’t be afraid to ask, and just do it.  So many people are willing to help in aviation that if you don’t ask, you have only yourself to blame.  That doesn’t mean to just ask people for money, but they may be able to give you advice or point you in the direction of a scholarship or job opportunity. 

I’m not writing this to judge people for their choices as much as I want people to realize it is possible, something I didn’t realize until I was in my mid 30s.  There are opportunities all over the place.  If you are in the industry you can help by talking to people about it.  You can tell them your story, which was likely just as full of sacrifice along a winding path as most other pilots.  You can help someone get into the military if that is what you know.  We can all do more to help people follow their dreams, and I know almost all of us are willing to do so.

If we can only educate people of all ages about the options they have we can grow the community which will only help all of us.  Then we will have more people to share this thing that we love.

If there is anything I can do to help please let me know and I will do all I can.  Helping other people learn and grow is one of my favorite things to do.

January 9, 2021 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

In Aviation, Small Differences Can Have a Big Impact

I am always amazed by how much difference there can be in very small distances.  As I was watching my favorite college football team last night, I was reminded of that fact once again.

As the game was coming to a close our team was down five points and driving towards the endzone.  The quarterback threw a pass near the goal line that was caught, but the receiver was tackled about  a yard short of the goal line that would have won them the game.

Once I got over the heartbreak, which came much later in the season this year than I am used to, it really hit me how often in life a relatively small distance can make a very big difference.

In this case the receiver has over 1,000 yards receiving this year.  He is on watch lists for major national awards.  He has been hands down the team’s best receiver, but he came up one yard short of winning the game for his team.  It had to be heartbreaking for him and his teammates, and I know it was rough for me and all of the other fans across the world.  All because of three feet.

In the flying world, these small distances can be far more critical.

I knew of a crew that clipped the top of a wall near an airfield and carried 80 feet of concertina wire on to the next base they landed at.  Three feet lower and the crew probably doesn’t get to tell the story.  Three feet higher and there is no story to tell.

It can be easy at times to take these small distances for granted.  Does it really matter if we run takeoff and landing data for an airfield we have used a million times in a plane we are very familiar with?  Is it the end of the world if I am a few knots slow on final?  Does it matter if I land a little long on a runway that has plenty of distance?

The vast majority of the time, the reality is that none of the things I mentioned above are going to kill you.  Tons of people do all of these things regularly without any bad outcomes.  At the same time, people have died from every single one of the things I mentioned, because those small differences can be the difference between life and death when flying.

The biggest reminder of this to me is a friend I lost because of a small Pelican Case probably less than six inches in size that got placed behind the yoke.  Six inches of plastic literally cost him and his crew their lives.

Whether it’s six inches, a couple of knots, or three feet, all of these small amounts can make a huge difference in being safe, or at great risk.  It is our job as aviators to keep ourselves on the three feet high and a couple of knots fast side of the situation so that we can not only continue to enjoy this thing we love, but to keep ourselves and those around us safe.

The real challenge with flying is that we also can’t err too far on the safe side, because that can be just as unsafe.  I heard a CFI talking about the dangers of adding too much of a safety margin to our flying that really hit home with me.  It’s acceptable to be a couple of knots fast when you are landing, but say it’s a little windy so you decide to carry a few more knots.  It has also been awhile since you flew so you decide to carry a few extra knots to feel safer.  Before you know it, you are more than ten knots fast on landing which is also not a safe situation.

Despite some of the inherent risks of taking people into the air inside of a metal tube, flying is a relatively safe endeavor when we follow the rules.  All of these small differences are manageable when we put in the proper time for training and experience.  We must settle for nothing less than perfection as we improve our aviation skills.  That doesn’t mean that every single approach will be on speed at exactly the spot we were aiming for on landing.  But when we aren’t on speed and we land long or short we should analyze why it happened.

We should take a moment to think about what we did and what the result was.  Did we pull the power a little early?  Was their a gust of wind right at the flare?  Did we fly speeds for a different flap setting than what we actually configured?  There could be dozens of different causes for our mistakes, but if we never take the time to analyze what we did, we can never fix those mistakes.  More importantly, we increase the likelihood of exceeding the safe limits and having an accident.

I think this constant pursuit of improvement is one of the reasons I love flying so much.  You can fly thousands of miles and after all of that, it comes down to just a few hundred feet of accuracy to end the trip safely.  There is also always room for improvement.  There is no such thing as the perfect flight or the perfect pilot.  There is always a new skill to learn, or a new type of flying to try out.  And there is always an opportunity to make sure we are staying on the safe side of these small differences.

December 6, 2020 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.